Taiwan

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Driven out of China after losing a civil war, Taiwan’s main opposition party faces another crisis following an election drubbing this month, seeking to re-invent itself and rethink its unpopular policy of trying to accommodate Beijing.

The Kuomintang, which ruled all of China until forced to flee to Taiwan in 1949, soundly lost both the presidential and parliamentary elections to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), whose promises to stand up to China’s threats contrasted with its own platform to be more conciliatory toward Beijing.

TAIPEI (Reuters) - China will not change its position that Taiwan belongs to it, Beijing said on Sunday, after President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election and said she would not submit to China’s threats, as state media warned she was courting disaster.

The election campaign was dominated by China’s efforts to get the democratic island to accept Beijing’s rule under a “one country, two systems” model, as well as by anti-government protests in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Fresh from a landslide reelection victory, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met Sunday with the de facto U.S. ambassador to Taipei, as China warned that countries should stick with recognizing communist-ruled Beijing as the rightful government of “One China,” including Taiwan.

William Brent Christensen, a U.S. diplomat who is director of the American Institute in Taiwan, congratulated Tsai on her victory and she thanked him for his support.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The future of Taiwan’s democracy was on the line Saturday as the self-ruled island voted on whether to give independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen a second term.

Taiwan has developed its own identity since separating from China during civil war in 1949 but has never declared formal independence. Beijing still claims sovereignty over the island of 23 million people and threatens to use force to seize control if necessary.

TAIPEI (Reuters) - The world is watching what choice Taiwan makes as the only Chinese-speaking democracy, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Friday, the eve of elections in which Tsai said a vote for her would be a vote for freedom.

Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary polls on Saturday in the shadow of both a ramped up effort by China to get the democratic island to accept Beijing’s rule, and anti-government protests in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A year ago, Taiwan’s leader was on the ropes. Then she got a boost from an unexpected corner: Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Polls indicate that President Tsai Ing-wen is poised to win a second four-year term on Saturday, a remarkable turnaround for a leader whose future was in doubt after voters dealt her Democratic Progressive Party a major loss in November 2018 local elections.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen convened a meeting of top defense officials Friday following a helicopter crash that killed the island’s top military officer and other prominent personnel.

In a tweet, Tsai said the morning conference focused on ensuring military morale, security in and around the Taiwan Strait and the importance of “complete equipment inspections.”

That followed the grounding for inspection of Taiwan’s 52 UH-60M Black Hawk choppers belonging to the air force, army and National Airborne Service Corps.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s top military official was killed in an air force helicopter crash Thursday morning that killed seven other people, the defense ministry said.

Five people survived the crash in mountains outside the capital.

As chief of the general staff, Gen. Shen Yi-ming was responsible for overseeing the island’s defense against China, which threatens to use military force to annex what it considers it own territory.

The helicopter was flying from Taipei to the northeastern city of Ilan for a new year’s activity when it crashed.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China has been relentless in its attempts to influence and infiltrate Taiwan’s politics and society but the island’s new ban on political interference should have no effect on normal exchanges between the sides, Taiwan’s president said in her New Year’s address.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s legislature on Tuesday passed a law aimed at blocking political interference from China, less than two weeks before presidential and legislative elections.

The approval of the the Anti-Infiltration Law follows accusations that China is strongly backing candidates from the main opposition Nationalist Party, including providing campaign funds and mobilizing support on social media.